Rainbow Falls has the distinction of being, at 80-feet, the highest single-drop waterfall in the entirety of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located along the trail named for it off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the waterfall is an easy one to visit as long as you can manage the 5-mile round-trip walk and a fairly significant elevation gain. The falls sit on the southern slopes of Mount LeConte and, in fact, if you are an ambitious individual you could climb all the way to LeConte's summit via the Rainbow Falls Trail. It should be warned though, that the climb to LeConte via this route is considered to be among the toughest day hikes in the Smokies. For most, the trek to Rainbow Falls is enough, as it was for me on this day.

This particular hike was a bit of an emotional one for me, as I'm sure it was for anyone visiting the Smokies from Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the spring of 2017. The reason for this was the devastating and tragic wildfire which swept through the park and community on November 28, 2016. The Chimney Tops Fire, as it was known, pushed along by 80+ mile-per-hour winds grew from a tiny fire in the center of the park to a monstrous conflagration which charred over 17,000 acres destroying forests, homes, and lives along its path. Rainbow Falls escaped the flames but the lower part of the trail to it was hit hard by the fires. During this visit, barely two months after the fire, the first mile-and-a-half of hiking was through a landscape of ash-covered ground, charred stumps, and bare rock. The trail was clear and easy to travel but I'm sure scars of the fire will take a few seasons to heal from. The upper part of the trail, including the falls, was untouched by flame. It was truly striking how fickle wildfires can be and how fine a line there is between life and ruin.

So, overall this hike was as enjoyable as I expected. The falls, of course, are among the most beautiful I've seen in the Smokies. Despite the deep scars of the fire on the forest the greens of the rhododendrons along the streams, the evergreen leaves of the hemlock, and the clear rushing waters of the many streams all tell of how life will return and flourish on even the most scarred mountain slopes. This was a hike quite unlike any other I've taken in recent years, and much more moving as well. As always...enjoy...

Mileage Hiked: 5.4 miles Hike Duration: 2:45

Trailhead Temp: 40'F Trail Traffic: 25-50 people

Min. Elevation: 2,550' Max. Elevation: 4,220'

Total Vertical Gain: 1,560' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 578' (ascent)

P.S. I wasn't going to originally but I decided, at the last minute, to include some pics on the second page of the wildfire damage in the vicinity of Gatlinburg itself. The wildfire of November 26 destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and businesses and claimed the lives of 14 people. The wounds inflicted on the community will take a long time to heal. It's my hope that, if anything, these pics can be a reminder of the dangers of wildfire and provide some cause for reflection on how we can be better prepared the next time a fire season, like that of 2016, descends on us again.

The intensity of the fire which swept through here was immediately apparent, with even huge fallen logs like this sporting deep burns...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 2,720'

The smell of ash was pervasive...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 2,850'

Pulling up alongside pretty LeConte Creek...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 2,920'

Still-green rhododendron along the creek give color to an otherwise drab landscape...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,000'

It seemed as if the fire had swept everything smaller than a sapling from the slopes around me...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,040'

Climbing away from the creek for a bit...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,100'

Large hemlocks provided some green in the burned forest...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,200'

High above the creek now and looking across to the neighboring ridge...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,250'

Remains of an old stone wall...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,280'

The climbing began to get a bit more serious about a mile in...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,320'

Even the rhododendron had been charred brown on the ridge I was now climbing...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,380'

Limited views could be seen back to the north as I climbed...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,400'

This portion of the ridge seemed to have been hit particularly hard...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,450'

As the ridge steepened some helpful switchbacks aided in the ascent...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,550'

Entering the worst burned zone of the entire hike...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,550'

The devastation here was heartbreaking...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,550'

A stone sentinel overlooks the ruined forest...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,580'

Blessed green suddenly surrounds me again...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,600'

This small stand of hemlock had seemed to have escaped virtually unharmed...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,660'

Life-giving sunshine breaks over the ridge...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,700'

Things flatten out for a bit...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,680'

About a mile yet from the falls, the trail crosses LeConte Creek via this handy log bridge...

LeConte Creek -- 3,680'

Looking upstream from the bridge in the previous shot...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,720'

Suddenly all was green again...upon crossing LeConte Creek I once again was in a woodland untouched by fire. The sudden transition from burn-zone to lush forest was striking...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,760'

Passing some truly giant hemlocks...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,800'

It felt refreshing to once again be surrounded by the colors of life...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,820'

Of course, as with many places in the Smokies, evidence of other ongoing disasters could be seen. Here, huge hemlocks that have succumbed to the Wooley Adelgid tower high above...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,840'

Another welcome flat-ish stretch of trail...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,850'

The relief didn't last long, however, as I once again found myself switchbacking up the steep ridge...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,900'

Yet another huge hemlock...this one deserving of a companion shot...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 3,920'

Looking down towards Gatlinburg...its burned homes and ridges easily seen even from this distance...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,000'

Rounding the rocky ridge back into the sunshine...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,100'

Just before reaching the falls the trail crosses a pair of tiny tributaries, each sporting some nice cascades...

Tributary of LeConte Creek -- 4,100'

A shot of the cascade I passed by at the first of two tributary crossings just before reaching the falls...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,120'

The trail as it enters the high valley where the falls is located...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,100'

Passing the second of two small tributaries, just before reaching Rainbow Falls...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,150'

The trail as it once again arrives at LeConte Creek just below the falls...

Tributary of LeConte Creek -- 4,100'

A pretty cascade just upstream from the crossing of LeConte Creek in the previous shot...

Rainbow Falls Trail -- 4,150'

The arrival...

Rainbow Falls -- 4,220'

Tiny cascades below complemented nicely the high main falls above...

Rainbow Falls -- 4,220'

The 80' Rainbow Falls was a wonder to behold...the multi-colored cliffs surrounding it only adds to it beauty...

Rainbow Falls -- 4,220'

A short vid of the magnificent Rainbow Falls...

Rainbow Falls -- 4,220'

The 80' Rainbow Falls as seen from its base...

Rainbow Falls -- 4,220'

After all the devastation I had seen this day, seeing the majestic beauty of this waterfall and its life-giving water provided a perfect tonic for the soul. This scarred wilderness will recover and soon burst back to life, better than ever...